A Diagnosis
by Felix Collins
Summary: Shinji has gone back in time after seeing the end of the world. This time around though, Shinji is aware of Gendo's true plans.   A spamfic.
1. Chapter 1

Medical Diagnosis

There are loads of time travel fanfics out there, particularly ones where Shinji goes back in time after 3rd Impact. Assume this is one of those. This story is a bit of a crackfic.

I do not own Evangelion.

* * *

Shinji stepped out onto the catwalk and resisted the temptation to spit into the sea of LCL below. After all, he could do that later on when nobody was looking.  
_'Not like it really matters. I've already seen the end of world. Even if the Angels don't bring about 3__rd__ Impact, my Father will. The bastard.'_

The chamber around him suddenly lit up completely, and he made sure to look particularly shocked as he saw Unit One for what was ostensibly the first time. Misato was saying something, but he couldn't bring himself to pay much attention, until he realised the one person he hated most (apart from Asuka on occasion) had just shown up.

"And you will pilot it Shinji," announced Gendo Ikari from on high.

Shinji looked up at Gendo, and grinned.  
"You know Father, I think I've determined the nature of your problem. You are what is known as a 'Sociopath'," Shinji made sure to draw out the word, "which is to say, that you feel _no_ empathy for other people."  
"Shinji!" warned Misato.  
_'Just what has my brother been saying to Shinji about me?'_  
Shinji smirked when he saw Gendo's expression tighten. "Typical behaviour for a sociopath usually includes manipulating others for personal gain, a propensity for viewing life as a game where everyone else is playing by silly rules like 'morality', a tendency to rise to the top of any power structure, and the willingness to do things that no normal person would in order to achieve your goals. How is this sounding so far?"

Gendo kept his reaction under control, though his expression darkened. "This is not the time for personal conversations, Shinji. You will pilot the Evangelion now."  
Shinji stared up into his eyes. "Why will I do that? There's no way I'm getting ba-getting to be anywhere near that thing! First thing when I get here, you expect me to just jump into a giant robot and go off to fight some gigantic monster? Are you nuts, or just crazy?"  
Gendo waved to an assistant, who rushed off towards the medical bay. "It is not necessary for you to do so. I simply felt it likely you might choose to do so of your own will."

Shinji turned away from Gendo, knowing what was going to happen next. Gendo's actions really did make a lot of sense if you thought of them in the right terms. He spoke to Misato, but made sure to keep his voice loud enough for Gendo's microphones to pick up the sounds. "Honestly, what a huge jerk. If he doesn't need me to pilot, then that means he has someone else to pilot this thing anyway. I'm not even trained for this!" Trying to appear thoughtful, he continued, "though I guess even he wouldn't be so reckless as to let me do this if he had better options. Whoever this other pilot is, they'd have to be a worse prospect for piloting than me, which is definitely saying something. Are they even younger than me, or horribly traumatised? Maybe they were grievously wounded from piloting one of these things before? Of course, if that's the case, my Father would have to have a really strong hold over them, to make pilot in such a condition." Shinji worked to extinguish his grin as he imagined his father's reaction to him thoroughly predicted every aspect of NERV's condition. Misato looked on in something like horror.  
"Now, considering what I know of my Father, this hold is probably something really subtle or insidious. Blackmail wouldn't work too well against a kid, unless he threatened their family, he might have used a hero complex to get someone to try, but the fact is that if the pilot was so badly injured that he thought an untrained pilot would be more effective, then normal motivations just might not stand up to the pain of those injuries, at least not if they're a kid like me. My money is on brainwashing and indoctrination." Shinji snuck a glance up at Gendo, who was staring at him like a small insect he wanted to crush. Gendo pulled his glasses off his face and began rubbing one of the frames absently.  
"Whoever this pilot is, she's probably kept isolated from everyone else, holds no strong connections to people other than my Father or his underlings, and has been told from a young age that her job is to pilot the Evangelion."

Misato stopped gaping long enough to pick up on a strange detail. "How do you know the other pilot is a she?"  
Shinji shrugged. "Well, that's her, isn't it?" he replied, pointing to where Dr. Akagi was running up with Rei being wheeled along behind her. Shinji made sure to place an appalled look upon his face. It wasn't hard.  
"Rei, you will now pilot the Evangelion," demanded Gendo.  
Beside Dr. Akagi, Rei began to struggle out of bed. "Yes sir," she managed; her voice low.  
Shinji spun to face his Father. "No, that's alright, I'll do it. Just because you have no ability to care about others doesn't mean I'll let you throw her life away like this. Now, what do I have to do to get into this thing?"

As soon as Misato and Ritsuko explained enough that he could avoid revealing his future knowledge, Shinji turned towards the Evangelion and began getting in. Turning his head back, he couldn't resist one last dig at Gendo. "Honestly Father, you're such a selfish bastard. I wouldn't be surprised if you brought about the end of the world if you thought it would give you what you wanted."

Gendo's glasses shattered in his hands.

Shinji's eyes widened.

"Oops."


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I'd apologise for the slow update speed, but that might cause people to expect a faster update speed next time, which would be downright dishonest. I will however apologise for the lack of obvious humour in this chapter. Such is the cost of growing a plot, though I'll get back to the humour in later chapters.

Obviously, I do not own Evangelion.

* * *

Shinji slid into the entry plug of the Evangelion, the confined area bringing a sense of familiarity.  
_Wow. I haven't been back in here since…the time just after the end of the world. Man, that sounds _weird_ when I hear it._  
LCL began to flood in, making Shinji flinch as it touched him. His last contact with the orange substance was a lot more recent; when he stepped into the Oceans of 3rd Impact in hopes of using its' power to return to the past. The _Great Overmind, collective soul of the human race, whispering promises of fulfilment and togetherness into his ear, pulling and pushing at him, pulling him in…  
_

Shinji's reverie was broken by Misato mistaking his blankness for anxiety. "Don't worry Shinji, that stuff is called LCL. You can breathe in it, and it acts to connect you to the Eva while you pilot it, as well as cushion you against impacts. You're gonna be perfectly fine."  
Shinji stopped paying attention to her voice, letting it become a pleasant background noise. He shut his eyes, feeling his heartbeat thump all the louder as he synched up to the Eva.

_Just focus. I mustn't…no, I __**won't**__ run away. Not this time. I chose to come back, and set things right. I chose to pilot again. I've beaten this angel before and I'll do it again. I am no longer the emotional wreck I was just before 3__rd__ Impact, and I will take on any foe._

Shinji whimpered.

* * *

Ritsuko looked up from the screen displaying the Pilot's vital signs.  
"Increased heart rate. The kid seems terrified."

Misato snorted. "Didn't need a degree to figure that. Wouldn't you be scared in his position?"

"Worry about the pilot's emotional state later. Focus on getting him ready to fight," came Gendo's voice from behind her. The stoic man had somehow procured another pair of glasses and his usual blank demeanour had already returned.

The Doctor turned her attention back to the incoming pilot data. "Everything is set. Synchronisation is underway, and…wow, that's a promising start. Synchronisation is at 57%. That's unexpectedly high for the first activation."

Gendo nodded. "Excellent. Speed up the activation process then; he should prove able to handle the strain. Get him up to the surface ASAP."

* * *

Shinji leant forwards as the Eva catapult shot him up, the familiar sensation of G-forces causing him to become strangely relaxed. The sight that greeted him above was also familiar, but far from relaxing. Looming over the far end of a long street was the 3rd Angel, just as it had appeared so long ago. It stalked slowly, almost casually along, confident in its purpose, and knowing there was nothing but pitiful humankind to stop it. Shinji took off towards it; then slowed as the Eva stumbled at his quick shift of balance.  
_What? The Eva's so …slow! That doesn't make any sense! It hasn't been this unresponsive in ages-_

Shinji cursed inaudibly.

_The Eva and I spent years getting properly in tune with each other. I'm still in tune with it, but Eva-01 still hasn't opened itself up to me yet. I'm not nearly as needy and scared as I was originally, so my heart isn't quite as open… I guess I'll need to do this another way.  
_Shinji allowed himself to ignore the oncoming presence of the striding Angel, filling his mind with images of pain: the loneliness of an orange beach, a world where all people were gone, a burning desire to **destroy those who would cause it!  
**

Eva-01 went berserk.


End file.
